


From The Pages Of Henry Dragonborn

by Guard1ans, PhenomJak



Series: Isle of Misfits [2]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2019-11-08 02:13:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17972516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guard1ans/pseuds/Guard1ans, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhenomJak/pseuds/PhenomJak
Summary: Tales of life before the discussions of an alliance were even thought upon as told by those who live upon the Isle of Misfits.Stories will not be in chronological order.(Takes place during Riders and Defenders of Berk time-wise.)





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> We’re back, and with new stories! Yes, we’re working on the sequel, but we’re also working on these side stories to help give better understanding about Henry/Hiccup, Toothless, the Dragon Court, and the rest of Sunset.
> 
> And what better way to start it off then telling how Henry came to be on Sunset?

“Ha ha! I knew it!” Was the shout that threw Henry awake and off of Toothless which somehow during the night he ended on top of. He grunted in discomfort and rubbed sleep from his eyes. Dawn was peaking around their campsite and the fire, once merry during the night, had become ash. Around him were his companions: Crys in a cocoon of Nightmare’s limbs, Nix was snoring under a wing of Rosemary, Rhika against Aurora’s belly and tail protectively around her, and Nick, far from Jet who unfortunately electrifies himself while asleep.

The other two, Ryuu and Yuichi, were missing. Azura and Abyss were still there, but riders no where to be seen.

Also who woke him up?

“That’s what happened and Hen agrees!”

“I am so calling bull, let me see that journal.”

Wait a minute...wasn’t he writing in his journal before he feel asleep? Henry yawned and began to feel for it. It wasn’t a pillow under him, then it must be on the ground around him.

He grabbed hold of his pencil. Then his brain decided to wake up. He knew those voices and he knew what “journal” they were talking about.

Oh those two were dead meat when he got ahold of them.

“Yuichi! Ryuu!” The scholar shouted, shooting up and scanning the treeline.

“Oh....crab baskets.”

“Wha....whasgoinon?” Crys mumbled before her and Nightmare yawned in unison.

“I tolerated this stunt once, but this is the final straw! Get over here so I can finally send you two to the bottom of the ocean!”

“Hen! It isn’t like last time!”

“All Ryuu’s idea, Henry, I swear on my grandmother’s grave!”

“You’ll both be joining her in Hel in a minute!”

The female Skyrunner rolled over and deposited her rider to the ground before yawning and giving herself a thorough morning bath. Crys clambered to a standing position and stretched.

“What’da do this time?” She asked, rubbing her eyes.

“Stole my journal AGAIN!” Was the nordic reply. Henry was too focused on strangling to even notice the change into his natural dialect.

“Whaaaa?” Nix moaned, hand poking out from the fleshy tent.

“It’s too early. Sun’s not even fully awake.”

“Yui and Ryuu stole Hen’s book....again.”

“Well, steal it quietly, I wanna go back to sleep.” Was the whiny reply followed by Rosemary opening an eye, snorting, and going right back to sleep.

“Lazy bum.”

“I like my sleep.”

Crys rolled her eyes.

“I’ll fix it.”

She simply had to wait for a lap. Yuichi and Ryuu, the later holding a leather back book bound with string and behind them, Henry with a very murderous look in his eyes and keeping up with one leg and a metal prosthetic.

“Night, tail slap.”

Said appendage suddenly flattened into the path of the not so merry chase.

“Oh Shi-“

“Crys!”

Henry managed to stop just short of the trap but his prey was not so lucky. They both tripped and fell on top of each other in a heap, journal still outstretched which the princess of the court promptly took.

“Oi!”

“Hold your Flutterfires, we’re settling this first. Alright you two, why the diary stealing?”

“It is not a diary! It’s for-“ Henry began.

“Hen...”

She gave him a look.

“Ryuu doesn’t believe me that he flirted with Hen soon as he saw him.”

“I didn’t!”

Henry crossed his arms.

“Really? That’s it? You don’t remember me sending you to the ground because I sure do.”

“Oh that is such bull! You couldn’t take me then and sure as the virtues can’t take me now!”

There was a laugh from under Rosemary’s wing and Nix poked her head out.

“He flattened you!”

Henry gestured to the witness.

“Oh for the love of-“

Crys sighed.

“Everybody get up, we aren’t leaving until this mess is-“

“Oh come on princess, you were there.” The scholar replied.

“Well uh....I don’t exactly remember.” She admitted.

“In my defense, I didn’t get a lot of sleep back in the day.”

Henry gave her a look.

“Okay, maybe I still don’t, but Hen has never heard my side of the story during that fateful stormy night our little prince was a damsel in distress. Only others who know are Nightmare and Toothless and well...they ain’t talking.”

She gestured to the two love birds currently giving each other licks between the ears.

“Oh ha ha. For your information-“

Henry sauntered around and snatched the journal from his love interest’s grip. He began to flip through it to check for damages.

“-a freak storm was not in our travel itinerary.”

“Well Grandma always says there are powers beyond human understanding always at work, maybe that storm wasn’t just random?”

Crys wiggled her eyebrows flirtatiously.

“Oh sweet Amaterasu, just tell the damn story already so we all can catch a few more before we have to head back!” Nick shouted from his resting place.

Everyone went quiet.

“Well yeesh, he’s crabby. Anyway, from what I recall....”

 

_Nightmare and I were stress testing the new saddle design Dad and I created for long journeys, stopping every once in a while to get our bearings and check how it was working. I think we were at least half way across the archipelago when out of nowhere we ran into this storm cluster._

“Nighty, can you see anything? Because I sure can’t!” A young Crys shouted through the thunder and rain.

Nightmare whined and sent out a screech, ears twisting for the returning sound. All of the sudden, she dived.

“Night! What’ve we talked about? You warn-“

And touched down on soggy ground.

“-oh...Good plan.”

Soon enough, the young heir was sheltered under a dragon wing, lantern glowing with fire and casting hazy light around the area.

“Okay, let’s see, we should be...” Crys muttered, pouring over one of her father’s maps and journals.

“I think dad called it Earth Maw Island. Dad says this place is filled with caves and caves mean dry. We find one and we wait it out. Agreed?”

Nightmare purred.

“Okay. Now we just need to find one.”

_It felt like hours until we found the mouth of a cavern and by that time pretty much everything I packed was absolutely soaked. Both of us thought we were alone there, but it turned out we weren’t._

“This sucks so bad.” The heiress whined, clothed in her undershirt and the canvas of her tent, snuggling close to her dragon as the mass of wet driftwood and greenery burned weakly before Nightmare gave the horrid excuse for a fire a small blast, sending heat through her dripping clothes.

“Well...could be worse I suppose. I got my baby princess with me, so everything will be okay.”

The dragon purred and snuggled her person, pulling in for a dragon like hug and rolling onto her back.

“Oh yes, who’s my princess? Who’s the most love spoiled dragon in the entire world?”

Then something harsh and terrifying sounded from deeper in the cavern, stopping them both in an instant. Crys squeaked.

“What the heck was that?” 

She delved deeper into her canvas makeshift blanket.

“I hate caves. Please tell me that was just a Flutterfire playing a joke on us?”

The Skyrunner was silent, peering upside down in the darkness of their shelter’s depths. She growled.

“Oh-okay! Not friendly, got it!” The rider whimpered.

The dragon deposited her cargo and rolled back onto her feet, ears pinned back, tail waving back and forth. The familiar dull thunk of the retractable spike between her tail fins echoed as well, as she raised it above her ready to strike.

Then Crys’ jaw dropped as a semi familiar head of a species she had only seen once poked into the range of the firelight along with two green eyes.

“A...Skyrunner?”

_After finding Nightmare and her dead mother, I called her Eclipse, I have never seen another one of her species, let alone one of the opposite gender. Father always had theories, but seeing one in the flesh that wasn’t my dragon, it was an entirely new experience._

Nightmare hissed, adding a few clicks to her speech that Crys had never heard before, but roughly it almost sounded like...she was demanding to know why the other member of her species was there.

The green eyes of the slightly larger Skyrunner became slits as it growled a reply.

“Uh...not to, uh...Night, is that a saddle on him?”

The dragon’s mouth snapped shut and tilted her head in confusion.

Indeed, both could see the rough reflection of an iron stirrup dangling from leather along side a limp leg and soaked fur boot.

Crys stood up and reached a hand out.

“Is your rider...okay?”

The black dragon got defensive once more and growled at the enclosed distance.

“No no no. I’m a friend. Uh...think!...Fish! Want some fish?”

Nightmare looked scandalized. The dried fish was hers, dang it! It was roasted to perfection too! She always oversaw her treat making. 

The childish dragon stamped her feet and scowled, lower lip out in a pout. Her fellow dragon now just looked plain confused.

“Alright alright, you want one too?” Crys asked, searching through her bag.

Her baby princess hummed and batted her eyes.

“I think you deserve your favorite after going through that storm.”

Nightmare grinned and snapped up her treat, savoring it, as Crys held out a bit of dried fish out for the other dragon.

Cautiously, he put one paw in front of the other and inched towards the morsel, showing more of the being sprawled across his back, a mass of auburn hair, bear fur, and what looked like green underneath. They looked to be unconscious. The other foot was slipped into a lever like system in the other stirrup with a rod doing down the dragon’s body.

“To....less.” Came a murmur from the other rider, thin fingers twitching.

“Here. A fish for permission? Please? Your rider doesn’t look so good.” Crys begged, setting the dried filet down on the cave floor. The dragon looked at her for a moment before giving a small grunt and slurping up the treat. He then folded down his wings and scooted sideways, inadvertently showing what the lever was connected to.

A false left tail fin.

“Oh....oh.”

Nightmare looked curiously at the contraption and even went to sniff, only to be growled away. She arched her back and hissed.

“Hey hey hey, it’s okay. No need for a dragon brawl. We’re all friends here. Nightmare just didn’t get taught very much in the way of dragon etiquette. Her mom....never mind, not important.”

Crys then slipped over and brushed a few strands away from the riders face showing a large button like nose and freckles.

“Huh...got one of those snouts that you wonder if it squeaks when you push it. I’m guessing you’re a guy.”

She felt his forehead.

“Burning up. That is not good. That is very not good.”

Eyelids flickered briefly at her touch.

“Night.” 

Said dragon ears perked at the commanding tone.

“I think he needs a healer. He’s absolutely soaked and his fever is dangerous as far as I can tell.”

The heir then scrambled for a scrap of paper from her saddle bags and pulled out a burnt stick from the fire to use to write.

“Earth Maw Island. Bring Paige. Sick rider I found. Will do what I can. Hurry.”

She jammed the note into a leather and Stonetail iron tube for Flutterfire messages and handed it to Nightmare to take it in her mouth.

“I’ll do what I can but Dad and Paige need to get here fast. Fly like you’ve never flown before, Nighty. Get back to Sunset. Please?”

Said dragon sighed, gave the other Skyrunner a “You protect or we going to have some words when I get back” look, and hopped out of the cavern into the storm.

_The only person who can put Toothless and cooperation in the same sentence is the guy riding him. He did not want to work with me forever until I hammered it into his thick head I was trying to help, yes I’m talking about you. Anyway, won’t give all the gory details of what I did to help, only that I think you came to a few times and minus the fever, you weren’t really hurt. It was...I think about two days later when Dad and Paige showed up with Maria and Thyme, also Nighty, with practically her entire medicinal stock._

The heir to Sunset snorted awake at the sound of a familiar cry along with a song sweeter than any birds’.

The passed out boy whom hadn’t been conscious enough to eat or drink, let alone give a name, didn’t stir, his dragon however shot up from his nap and trotted to the entrance, ears pinned.

“Wait! Those aren’t bad dragons! I know them! Will you calm down you-useless reptile!”

She did her best to halt the rampage by grabbing hold of the saddle and pulling, but the leather had finally decided it had enough with life and with a snap, the cinch broke and restrained the Skyrunner no more. Crys landed on her back and the dragon took off, angry and equipment dragging behind.

“Dad, look out!” She shouted.

Nightmare pounced before the other could lay a claw. She tackled her fellow mid air, tossing them both in a tussle. She was perhaps naive in culture but not in fighting and she knew this particular beast’s weakness. There was a ripping noise as Crys rushed towards the help she sent for to see her own dragon with iron in her maw and dangling at the end was the false tail fin. The male, now stripped of his saddle looked at her hissing mad, back arched and eyes slits.

“Enough! Nightmare! Drop it!” Ace commanded.

The now totaled equipment was dropped to the sand.

“Didn’t think to perhaps mention my dear of the aggressive Skyrunner?” He asked his daughter.

“I was more worried about his rider than anything else. Frankly, this guy has been a major pain in my rear!”

“Ah. You forget so quickly how your dear princess wanted to sleep with you in the same bed even when she got too big? Protective instincts are dangerous and amazing, aren’t they?”

Crys scowled. The governor cleared his throat.

“Crys, do show Paige the patient. I’ll work with this ball of aggression here, see what we can dig up besides the obvious. Magnificent design though crude. Your aunt would be proud.”

“Uh, dad. I didn’t make that.”

He did a double take.

“The rider did, well I think. Just a guess. He’s about my age. Hasn’t been lucid enough to even give me a name but trying to find one I saw sketches of the tail in this book of his.”

“...Really?”

She nodded.

“I only skimmed looking for a name but his pictures are really good. Kinda like yours.”

Ace’s eyes sparkled, intrigued by this boy even though he hadn’t even met him yet.

_Dad liked you almost immediately, even before you woke up. Raved about your drawings, calling his own sketches vastly inferior. “Nothing can compare to natural talent.” He said. Paige just rolled her eyes and warned him what happens when he got excited. He wasn’t quite as ill as he is now, but he still had a few medical hiccups, even back then._

_Your dragon however, when Paige decided it be best you rest in an actual bed than a cold cave floor, was not happy. Maria had to play mediator and translator. Never spared details only that the dragon called himself Teeth That Vanish, a form of the viking name he was given, Toothless. Never mentioned your name actually, just called you Peacekeeper, the first human who’s ever offered him kindness._

_Needless to say after hearing that Maria got attached pretty quick and we got you both back to Sunset._

 

“Yeah, well that’s all fascinating, but I still did not flirt with tree knot nose here!” Ryuu defended.

“Oi! I happen to like my nose!” Henry replied.

“And I’ll tell you exactly what happened! Word for word!”

He did an exaggerated lick of his finger and flipped through the pages of his journal.

“And you all can feel free to chime in at any time when I forgotten a detail. A helpful detail.” He added, looking to Ryuu and Yuichi.

“I know what my hand writing is and what’s the scribble you pass off for runes are. Ah, here’s the beginning. Just for the sake of record, how long was I out?”

“...I’d say two days before getting you home and...at least a day and a half after.”

“Thank you, I’ll add that to my notes. Now...”


	2. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he woke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy father’s day. I am uploading raw and semi edited because jak and me keep wanting to get on a call and read but we just never seem to find the time. In fact I have been writing a little crossover with cannon Race To The Edge. Let me know if you want me to post it.

_I recall...my first memories of being on Sunset being of that upper room in the governor’s home. I think master mentioned once in passing it used to be his room before becoming leader. It was also a good thing the first sign that I was no where near Berk was a Shimmerscale baby on my chest having a nap. To think Mirage used to be that tiny._

The first thing that the former viking registered was warmth along with snoring. Wait...he didn’t snore, neither did Toothless, well, as far as he was aware.

The runaway boy’s eyes snapped open. No...no, that ceiling did not look at all like any viking roof he’d seen. It was chalky white. Plaster. He’s only read about plaster before. The romans used it on the mainland. 

Was he...was he that far from the archipelago?

“Black and white with gray in the middle, just like life through the eye of a needle.

Births too short, deaths too long, oh great gods where has the color gone.

Look around Look around, Fire Fire on the ground. Jump through some hoops, prove your mettle, never ever settle.

Look around Look around Water Water abound...”

Doleful singing then came from somewhere beyond his bed. The boy struggled to sit up as a door opened. Something was on his chest but he couldn’t tell what. Cautiously he felt and underneath his fingers an infant dragon fluttered to wakefulness and into sight. Yellow eyes shot open and its narrow head flew up.

“Ch...ch...CHANGEWING!”

Both dragon and boy screeched, the baby scattering to a bedpost and glaring at him for interrupting its nap. The song suddenly stopped and another door was slammed open.

“What’s going on-Mirage! No doubt you snuck through when I checked this morning.”

A tall blond man with cat eye yellow eyes came rushing in tray under an arm. He certainly didn’t dress like any viking. He was thin like the boy with a nice white tunic and dark pants with nice leather boots. A quill was tucked behind his ear and his fingers had obvious stains from ink. Not a bit of chainmail in sight.

Very, very unviking like.

The man turned his head.

“Oh good, you’re awake young man. Almost thought you would faint after such a yell. I am so sorry about Mirage. If it were not the fact that she is an orphan, she would not be in this house and be in the hatchery until she learns proper manners. Yes, I’m talking about you.”

The dragon stuck her tongue out at him in response.

“Ha-hatchery? Who...where...”

The man raised his hands in a calming gesture.

“One question at a time, but you should have food before anything else. I’ll answer all of your questions then but just to let you know, your dragon is fine. No need for a heart attack. I just don’t want him in my house. It’s been damaged enough.”

The boy sighed in relief. Toothless was okay and considering he was calm about the Changewing and not bringing out a weapon, he was definitely not on Berk. The man set the tray in front of the boy and sat down on the bed next to him.

“Stew and mulled cider. Probably want some warmth after all you’ve been through.”

“What...I’ve been through? I don’t understand...”

The man scratched the back of his head.

“Well I’m not sure what you were doing before this but my daughter found you quite ill during a storm. I suspect, assuming the equipment on your dragon, you directed him and you into the caves but you passed out from the chill. She sent word and now you’re here instead of a cold cave floor.” He then explained as the boy drank some of the cider.

“You...aren’t upset? You’re used to dragons? You didn’t kill me. You didn’t kill Toothless. I just-I...”

“Easy. Just calm down.” The man soothed.

“How about we start with introductions. My name is Abraham Angelious. I am governor...What’s with that face? You look like Death just looked you in the eye.”

In fact, the runaway boy did look very pale.

“No...nononono.”

Fingers tangled through auburn hair and he curled up into a ball.

_I just panicked. My reasons...my old father had a tendency...to jump to the worst conclusions. It was unfortunately passed down. I won’t deny it, my mind went to some seriously dark places, probably because of lack of sleep, maybe fever, and a heavy dose of fresh paranoia. It had been I don’t know how long since I ran away from home and I was terrified of being brought back...still am but not the same extent now a days. My brother would probably roast most of Berk before they could get a finger on me. Yeah, love ya too, crazy reptile._

“Whoa whoa, no need to go into panic mode, young man. Sweet storm, were mine always this bad? Take it easy, deep breath, and look at me.”

The governor gently placed his hands on top of the boys and turned the head towards him.

“I don’t know what’s going through your brain right now, but you are safe. No one is going to hurt you. I won’t hurt you. Mirage won’t hurt you. No one is going to do anything, I swear on my father’s sword.” The man then vowed.

The baby mewed in agreement, scuttling back onto the covers, nudging.

“Now breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth. There ya go.”

The dragon yipped, head cocked in concern.

“Go to Alice and let her know to get Paige. Go now scoot. Direct order from your alpha.”

Mirage nodded and scuttled out of sight. The governor released the boy’s head and put a hand on his shoulder, the fog of fear clearing slowly.

“You okay?”

“Y-Yes...I’m sorry, I just-“

“It is fine.” The governor reaffirmed.

“I’d just want to know your name and where I can contact your parents. You certainly aren’t from here, we’d know if another Skyrunner was on Sunset. They aren’t exactly as common as Flutterfires, you know.”

“I...uh....what? Is that what you call...dragons?”

“Yes, they are my father’s homeland’s terms for the species. I take you’re viking then. Let’s see...ah, I meant Night Furies and Terrible Terrors. You did scream Changewing so that should have been my first clue. I am unfortunately running on very little sleep. But you are dodging the question, young man. As a father, I know what that means when people your age do that.”

The boy gulped and laughed awkwardly. The governor crossed his arms.

“Well, I...ran away from home.” The boy finally admitted.

“I couldn’t kill a dragon...I made a friend with him. I can’t go back and pretend and you can’t tell them you found me, he’ll kill you all to get to me! Please!”

The governor raised his hands to calm him.

“You’re freaking out again. Who are you talking about?”

“I heard he’s regained-“ a female clipped voice began.

“And currently looking like he’s having a seizure, Paige! Help would be nice!”

_Everything past that is sort of a blur. I think I had a panic attack and everything sort of melded into white._

_“Yeah, my mom sedated you. Has this potion you inhale through a cloth that makes you pass out. She did it at least three times.”_

_Well thank you for telling me that now. That information would’ve been quite helpful._

_“How was I supposed to know that? We didn’t know at all you were documenting everything until the boys stole your journal.”_

_...Okay fair point, I retract my sarcasm. I guess my next memory of the...event would be...Crys sneaking Toothless in to come see me._

Everything was a bit of a color filled haze when he next felt his consciousness rise. A metal instrument was placed on the beside table, he wasn’t sure what it was but after it was brought in, the room began to smell so much nicer. The air was thicker and he felt just so...calm. The governor returned regularly and so did a woman with tanned skin, almost like almond or fresh spring bark. She always hummed under her breath and brought in oils to massage his skin with or some kind of tea. Sleep was the main thing he did, deep and dreamless. He almost felt like one of his inventions when they had issues, easy to trigger and destructive but after a while...he sort of began to loosen and...he felt good. Extremely good.

He was brought back slowly to lucidity one morning by the window to his room being opened and the air becoming lighter and fresher along with murmuring that didn’t belong to either person who had visited before.

“Look, doing you a favor which means if you want to see your rider, and I can’t believe how many times I have to repeat myself, we can’t get caught. So work with me, Jawless.”

The voice was replied with a growl. A growl of...frustration? The boy blinked owlishly and looked towards the open window at the other side of the room, too relaxed to even raise his head. A mass of blond hair along with a ratty but well made top and pants came in through the opening...a person. The person then poked their head out the window and was seeming to be having a conversation with another outside.

“What? Don’t give me that look I’ve been busy and frankly maybe I’m still a little ticked you tried to attack my father.”

There was another grunt, one of deadpan acknowledgement.

“Now, Nightmare can squeeze through mine, let’s see if you’re just as nimble.”

The boy finally found the strength to sit up and watch as a black snout squeezed in through the window along with the rest of the black dragon’s body. It took a moment before it finally clicked in his hazy mind.

“Toothless?”

The dragon began to howl with joy before the person snapped his jaw shut with their bare hands.

“Hello, not allowed in here, remember? Keep it down.”

The boy then rubbed at his eyes and actually began to mentally clear the fog from his brain. It wasn’t just a person. It was a girl. A girl with unviking like short blond hair. And her eyes. They were so strange. One was blue the other...a cat’s eye yellow.

The girl waved a hand, getting the intense smell out before pinching her nose.

“Woo...think my dad might have over done it with the incense. Here let me fix that, get some actual decent air in here.”

She walked over to his bedside and began to fiddle with the metal object which now he acknowledged looked like a bronze lantern with smoke gently streaming out of diamond cut holes in the top of the ornament. 

“Yeah, dad put way too much in here. Little bit of water and..there.”

Toothless then bounded up and began to lick and nuzzle his best friend, overjoyed to see him again.

“He’s been pining so I thought I might sneak him in to see you. How you feeling?”

“Much better now that he’s here.” The boy replied, draped over his only friend’s head.

The girl grinned.

“I know that feeling. Same with my Nighty. Used to sleep with me until she got too big....but I think I might be getting ahead of myself.”

She bent over and looked at him straight in the face.

“You probably don’t remember but I’m the one who found your poor soggy presence and took care of you for...at least two days. Not that this guy helped at all.”

She jabbed a finger at Toothless.

“You deserved those lumps you got by the way, you stubborn ball of scales.”

Toothless grunted.

“You...took care of me?” The boy asked.

“Well duh. What am I? A monster? Just because I don’t know somebody, doesn’t mean I won’t help. It’s what Sunset is, after all.”

“And...what is Sunset? Why don’t you hate dragons?”

“Well, you know the Isle of Misfits, Dragons are pretty much the biggest bunch of misfits there are.”

“Chrysanthemum Angelious, why do I hear claws tapping?” The governor’s voice carried from beyond the door.

The girl froze.

“Uhhhh....What claws? You sure it just isn’t-“

“Chrysanthemum...”

“Okay, time to go now! Sorry to cut this short but I don’t want to clean the temple again.”

She then began pushing Toothless towards the window as they both heard footsteps come up nearby stairs.

“I told you no large dragons in the house, Crys. If you snuck Nightmare in again-“

A nearby door opened.

“Kay, now’s our chance. Go, you stupid dragon, go!” 

The boy tried to hold in his laughter as the girl shoved against the dragon’s rump to make him get out of the window faster.

“Wait a minute...if you’re not in your room...”

“Oh crab crab crab.”

The door to the sick room opened and both teens and dragon froze. The governor looked at the scene and raised an eyebrow.

“Really, honey?”

The girl sighed.

“Let’s face it, this isn’t the worst thing you caught me doing.”

 

“Why’d you keep that part in!” Crys howled as the boys started to cackle.

“Oh I wanted to keep that memory of you pushing a Skyrunner out of a window but him getting stuck around forever.” Henry stated grinning.

“Plus the fact it took Maria, you, your father, and Nightmare to get him unstuck.”

“Well it’s not my fault! He didn’t put his wings out first!”

“He was formally wild, you think he’d know how to go through a window?”

“I wasn’t aware of that considering he can’t speak and you frankly were high as a kite in a tornado. How the heck do you remember all that anyway?”

Henry smirked. 

“Well I have to keep some secrets.” He replied coyly.

“Yeah, yeah, just get to the actual part so you can end this!” Ryuu snapped.

“Uh, who’s telling the story? I’ll get there when I’m good and ready. Now where was I...”


	3. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the passage Fishlegs read to learn the identity of the Midnight Messenger

_This entry here, despite those before or after does not speak of observations of dragons, notes, or random thoughts I put down for the sake of not forgetting._

_This is for someone who should read it and come from the Isle of Berk, however likely or unlikely this is. I’d prefer this be in a journal then in some bottle thrown to sea. Rather useless in that form. But I know someone from Berk will want to know the writings of the great Hiccup the useless or whatever you call me now._

_Perhaps even Stoick the Vast may one day read these words though that would probably be wishful thinking but...I make this mostly for him and for Gobber._

_I write for them both on my almost death bed as my hands have briefly been allowed to breathe before being wrapped in bandages thanks to the accident. An accident that almost took my life._

_This is a confession. A silly one perhaps in hindsight but one none the less. These words are true, despite the lies and omissions I gave during dragon training all those years ago._

_I was the Midnight Messenger as you all generously called me. I expected as much to be dubbed something, Berk wasn’t that stupid not to notice a pattern. However I expected to be caught. I wanted to be._

_I wanted to show you Stoick that I actually cared for the village and that I listened to them. That I was worthy to be your heir despite the messes I made._

_But NEEDLESS to say you didn’t notice nor cared. I can’t even remember the amount of hints I dropped if the messenger was brought up at the table when we rarely eat together. The times where I wanted to beat you over the head with a hammer but simply sigh and continue doing my best were just as many._

_Not even you Gobber figured it out. I was almost obvious the way I was keeping count of my pay and my allowance. You even asked once why I was saving so much, only to buy some half assed excuse I made up about leather for a project._

_No wonder Johann always cheats you. But getting off subject._

_If you are wondering if I stole anything to play this Messenger, the answer is no. Not unless you count the occasional coin someone dropped in the road. All of the money was mine. I sold little things to merchants, kept my head down, and made sure Jorgenson didn’t get a drop, no matter how many times I had to limp back to the smithy because him and the twins wanted some pocket change._

_For the sake of some smugness should you tell them, Yes Thorston and Thorston, I’m the one who gave you that new cooking pot with the note you didn’t want to read. Your mother is not that hard to overhear complaining about of how you destroyed the old one. I don’t even want to know if you managed to break that one, but knowing you, you found a way._

_On that subject I might as well state my many “crimes”, but it would be easier to state what I didn’t do._

_The baby yak wasn’t me, I gave a little to the Helson boys budget as they have been saving for a while to get a new one for a surprise, the rest was their idea._

_The mass of gold for the fishmen family wasn’t fully me either, that I believe was a town effort._

_The new bucket for Bucket was Gobber I know that for a fact. I saw him working on it after hours and he asked me to run it over with a note like the Messenger, giving me one of those winks of his._

_And finally the notes for uncle Spitelout and Mildew. Those were...complicated._

_Frankly at first I was going to ignore them. Felt like some kind of trap by one of them to be honest. They really must’ve thought I was an idiot. Then....I had my mind changed._

_It was small bits at first, whispers that they were liars and that the messenger wouldn’t give them anything. Jorgensons were landowners, they had no need for anything. Mildew didn’t want anything anyway except to complain. Would serve him right to get a prank or something from Loki for messing with his messenger._

_I started to agree. Had half a mind to fool the twins into doing something to Spite and Mildew. But they were also loud mouths, couldn’t keep a secret if their lives depended on it._

_But then another idea was planted in my head._

_Add insult to injury. Finally get some revenge after all they’ve both said about me._

_It was like Loki was guiding my hand, that the gods finally said, “let the poor runt have this one thing for once.” Its not like I did any damage to them, except for a glorious few days make them the laughing stock of the entire town._

_Guess that was one of the few tastes of power that Spitelout was addicted to. Almost made me want more._

_But I learned how dangerous that is. What it can do to people._

_What it did to Toothless’ entire family and Nightmare’s mother. What it did to the people of Sunset._

_I never want to see that ever again._

**Tears blot the next few runes but they looked to be quickly dried and rewritten below**

_Why I stopped is perhaps the next and perhaps final question._

_Dragon training along with....well “dragon training”. I didn’t have enough time and frankly I was already on a few hours of sleep a day without my word being thrown upside down and sideways on a regular basis._

_Besides why did I need to? I once did this charity for a selfish reason, then selfless, then right back around to selfish again. I just..._

_I didn’t want to help people who ripped families apart...who taught me that another’s death was some sort of honor._

_That murdering my brother was going to make me a person. It wasn’t me._

_And its never going to be._

_I love Toothless too much, we’ve both lost so much and gained a lot more. I made him whole when I shot him down....and he made me the same when I lost my leg._

_So I will state with pride that if the Midnight Messenger is just a tale people tell then you deserve it just to be that. Not my job to be a moral compass for any of you._

_So in the words of the General, “kindly dunk your head in the mead barrel, because you’re not my problem.”_

_I have lesson plans to draw up anyway. Promised Crys we’d go for a flight in a bit anyway. Just her and me._

_Maybe I can get her to finally stop looking up so much and get her to turn her head in my direction._

_A guy can dream._


	4. Observations of a former viking pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Notes in his own hand of his life

_Sunset_

_Sunset is an odd island by viking standards, perhaps by anyone’s._

_Its like I always imagined the world outside to be. Like stepping out from pitch darkness to the glory of sunlight._

_Berk was always wooden, not much decoration. When you rebuild houses basically every month, why bother when its just going to be torched again. Long as it kept the wind out and the warmth in, all that mattered. Well minus a few exceptions of course. The great hall always had something fancy, being it was built into the side of a mountain and all that. And my old home..._

_Sunset does not use wood for the main building material, every home,business, and building in general is stone or at least a form of it I think. Not carved from single boulders or into mountain sides but by bricks._

_I watched as the masons as they were called, tanned men and one woman go to work with hammers and chisels with not a word spoken as they carved in rhythm, turning mighty chunks of stone others would use as weapons into smaller and smaller pieces, shaking their heads at certain chunks of a lighter or darker hue while the master of the shop, a very dark skinned man almost the color of pinebark or well oiled leather and looking just as grizzled gazed, discussed and ordered apprentices around with the occasional loving scratch and word to his workers and to the terrible terrors and gronkles around. The little dragons grab and toss the larger ones the unfit stone to eat while the larger carry the massive rocks into the workshop that is the meat of the process from some destination northeast of the island._

_How quietly they worked minus the almost song like quality of the hammering was almost frightening, it made me wonder if the feeling in my chest is the same as what others felt looking at my inventions._

_Its...well not pleasant._

_Back to observations. The stone and general construction of the village itself is one of many oddities, not counting the dragons that are about doing some kind of work or helping in some chore._

_Its use of glass and fabric for example. Gods the color and almost...uncaring way they display all these fabrics with their flags, awnings, and sheets twisting in the wind from clotheslines. Its like Johann’s ship times a hundred. Like they don’t face the world outside, like they’ve never been touched by the war._

_And the glass. It seems to be above all else a beloved craft. I know little of its process but it is everywhere. Windows with colored panes, little shapes on string or wire hanging from eaves that catch the light, figurines of every shape and size, and even the jewelry which much I have seen is usually encrusted with gemstones and is usually a thick gold or silver they subvert._

_They treasure glass above all else even for that._

_I sometimes wondered if where I ended up was Valhalla or some other realm, that I was dead or something perhaps along the lines to end up in such an alien place where the three hundred years of blood between dragon and viking hadn’t touched them. Its like this place was magical._

_But then I learned what they do when the war arrives on their doorstep._

_The governor, Abraham or he insisted, Ace, said he could feel it on the wind. That the bitch was trying again. I was so confused at first but I saw..._

_I saw how the dragons around the town were acting. They were scared, seeking comfort from the people and the governor alike and when they did, he would respond to each of them with the same phrase,_

_“Don’t fret, your alpha will put it right soon.”_

_And when it became dark, around the same time the dragons would attack Berk, there was not a soul ready in the viking sense. No weapons being handed out, no fires being lit to show them in the darkness, just..._

_Quiet._

_Toothless stuck to me that night, growling. He could feel it. I know he could feel the call of his old master. He wouldn’t leave my side as we simply watched what unfolded. I was perhaps too nervous or worse to ask what was going on._

_Everyone was awake, except for the littlest of children, whom for their sake were transported to the large stone building nestled in the hills behind the town with their mothers and a few elders. They were all awake and watching the dark sky._

_And the governor was above them all, his dragon Maria ready to fly._

_In an instant, she took off, hovering above the town and her rider standing atop her back with perfect balance._

_“I am Alpha of this nest!” He called into the night._

_“Your master seeks to destroy what she can not have! She is a glutton, a demon on this earth! She uses you for food while your children starve and when you can not deliver, she devours you! We raise no sword or arrow to you, brothers and sisters of the sky, but offer safe harbor from your queen’s tyranny! If you wish for freedom, to fly away from her grasp, land and we shall give both! This alpha gives you his oath! Though I may be human, I will protect, serve, and slay all who harm my flock!”_

_It...it...well at first it all felt a bit silly to be honest, him barking out this grand speech to an invasion. Perhaps it was because if I did anything like that to a hoard of dragons, I would be called crazy._

_But there was a method to the madness here. A reason why Sunset was different than any village._

_Because after that the first dragon touched down in the middle of the square. A zippleback with many missing spines, one head completely blind, and the other extremely scarred._

_It had been in battle with vikings and got away. A rare feat._

_Nightmare leapt to them and greeted the dragon so warmly like it was always apart of the village. Crys, her rider, stated for the ceremony (they consider these ceremonies of welcoming than battles to be won) she is the first one to come up to those who touch down to reassure them, to show that the great skyrunners can trust these humans, the dragons could too._

_But the governor wasn’t done. He continued:_

_“Those who are cowards, find a new place to pillage! Run back to let your queen know for every dragon she loses becomes another part of her downfall! To those who stay, Welcome to the Isle of the forgotten and may you always find safe harbor here my brethren!”_

_It was then that the town celebrated. No mourning for those who were lost, no rushing others to a healer for injuries, no silent crying at the loss of something precious. There was not a single thing burnt to the ground._

_Because not one dragon had dared to attack the nest of an alpha. The governor told me when I voiced my confusion after he set down that long ago, he became an alpha in the eyes of the dragons, just like his father before him. He was never sure how and had been studying his condition for years and from his travels all around the world._

_He was the only one alive that could do it._

_He could make dragons listen and obey, like an alpha would order his nest. And like an alpha he would strive to protect the dragons under his care as well as the people._

_That was why he asked so many questions of me, because he saw me as another to care for like many before me. He wish to shelter and protect and when the time came if Toothless and I chose, we could leave._

_But we’d always have a home here. No matter where we wandered._

_I’d never felt so happy to hear that word in my entire life._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me if its a bit all over the place. The times I add to these works stretch between days and weeks at a time.


	5. The interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well have to get some answers on why a half drowned kid was in the middle of nowhere freezing to death. At least a name.

“Young man...”

They were all in what the governor called a living room of the grand home. Diamonds of color danced across the floor and chairs covered in fabric and stuffed with wool. Hiccup was on the biggest chair or lounge as Ace called it, blanket on his lower half and trying really hard not to have eye contact with the man of the house directly in front of him.

Ace tapped his fingers together without rhythm and just looked at the formally very upset young man that had been so hysterical Paige sedated him several times. Now he was just sitting here nervous like he was about to meet his death sentence.

The governor took in a breath.

“Where am I?” The boy finally asked.

“Is this the mainland? You have no problems with dragons so they must be peaceful here. How long have I been here?”

“Whoa whoa. Slow down. By the virtues do you breathe?” The blond girl asked as she sat right next to him.

“Well to answer your first question, you’re at Sunset. I do believe I mentioned that earlier but you were...in a state. Frankly, Paige would have my head if she saw you up right now. She is our town healer, you see. Anyway, as for our location, well sorry to say you are no closer to the continent than where you started, depending on which way you came from.”

“You are close enough if you think about it, right mom?” Crys asked.

The woman sewing beside the governor nodded. Her long dark hair stood out from the governor and daughter with long needle like fingers continuing her craft, though it seemed more a distraction as her eyes flicked up to the conversation at every other stitch.

“Close enough?” The boy asked.

The governor rolled his eyes.

“It’s...well, my parents founded this place when they left the larger world. The why is...complicated but long story short, many followed their example. Have a little bit of every part of the world here, mostly survivors of shipwrecks. My mother has a tendency to take people in like stray cats...Don’t give me that look, it’s true.”

His wife shook her head and rolled her eyes, smirking.

“And don’t you dare tell her that either. Last thing I want is Crystal finding out.”

“Shipwrecks? The only major place known for wrecks is...the fog bank.” The boy muttered.

“I expected a more...vicious name. Your people just call it the fog bank?” Crys asked.

“You give everything else such silly names. Like...Flutterfires, for example. Why in the realm do you call them Terrible Terrors? What about Deadly Nadders? What’s a Nadder anyway?”

“A kind of snake, Crys. Now you’re just confusing him. By the heavens I swear...”

_Master was so strange to me back then, not that he ever stopped but he wasn’t what I was taught a leader should be. He wasn’t big, visibly strong, loud, or frankly anything like a viking. Yet...he still had authority. People listened to him, they respected him. I think I asked once how it was like this and he gave me such a cryptic answer, “my heart is simply bigger than the rest of me.” Told me that I’ll learn what he meant when I become his age._

“But yes we are about...gah where is that map? I swear I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached.”

He got up and went to a bookshelf stuffed full of papers and books, rifling through them.

“Uh dad? Ma has it.”

She jerked her thumb to a scroll in the mother’s hand, still focusing on her sewing.

“I put it in your knitting things again, didn’t I?”

_How he managed without someone like his wife or me around I’ll never know. He loses everything from quills to-_

_“Trust me, dad wouldn’t function without someone in the house to help him find things.”_

The governor took the paper and began to unroll it onto the floor. The boy’s eyes went wide.

It was a map, stretching far beyond the ones his father poured over in the great hall or at home. It showed many islands, even what hid beyond the unreachable by boat. 

And beyond the archipelago was a continent. The mainland. What he only heard about in stories.

The mainland he hoped to reach with Toothless.

“Let’s see....There’s Union Island...Outcast Island....Ah here. About...roughly a week and a half by boat but two days by dragon from Earth Maw Island were we found you....what? I mislabel something on this?” The governor asked as he briefly looked up to see the boring gaze of the teen.

“No!” The boy squeaked.

“It’s just....wow, have you been to all these places? Beyond the fog bank and...farther? You’ve been to the mainland?

“Hm? Oh, a number of times and needless to say I am paying for it in my old age. Gah!”

His daughter flopped over his shoulders, chin on top of his head.

“You’re not old, daddy, just well used.”

“Heard that from Scarlet, didn’t you?” Ace asked dryly.

“Some days...”

He sighed and began to roll up the map, getting his child off him.

“Now...the big question. I already roughly know why you ran away but...I’d like a few more details.”

He sat back down and the young man began to look at his feet again, internally sweating.

“Crys would you make some tea? I’m sure he’d love something calm his nerves.”

His daughter narrowed her eyes suspiciously and crossed her arms.

“Why.....?”

“Because I know you and I want you out of earshot before I ask so you don’t do something that your aunt would approve of. Alice-“

He didn’t need to say another word as his wife, already understanding exactly what he meant and fully agreeing, got hold of her daughter and rushed her past the kitchen door on the opposite side of the room and locked it behind them.

“What would I do without you?” He muttered lovingly before clearing his throat.

“Ah right the questions....Is there more to this running away than just your dragon? I can certainly understand your actions, considering the uh...climate shall we say, but...I want to know more. I want to know more so that we can help you.”

The boy found a ratted stray thread and began to play with it, not looking at him.

“Were you hit or touched where you never wanted to be?”

The teen went red as a cherry and immediately began to deny, so flustered that he even began to switch languages on the fly. Ace watches, not really sure how to stop the mess he created.

“Will you-how-oh will you calm down!” The governor finally snapped.

The young man’s mouth clamped shut, still red and now trying to hide his face behind his hands.

“Are you finished?”

The boy nodded meekly.

“Thank you. Now a straight answer. Did anyone do that to you? You were never...assaulted?”

He shook his head.

“Teenagers...” the governor muttered under his breath.

“Nothing to be embarrassed about, you wouldn’t be the first nor the last to come to the Isle of Misfits with such a past. But for right now putting that under a maybe-“

“Got yelled at a lot.” 

Ace paused.

“Used to be called the Useless ....Dad didn’t trust me to be out in raids...caused more damage than the dragons.”

The governor chuckled.

“Cause more damage than dragons? Are you sure? Seen a Stonetail flatten a house once by sitting on it. And don’t get me started on what the babies can do. Bless my girl’s heart, she loves them all but three little eggs she decided to take care of became little Darkbreathers and they decided their first meal would be the kitchen. And you know what, those three little troublemakers had the gall to eat so much, they all had stomachaches. My mother couldn’t stop laughing. “You reap what you sow!” She told me. “Now you’ll know what I went through raising you.” You screw up once and parents never let you forget it. Wasn’t my fault that a baby Torchback followed me home and his mother thought I took him. Then father had to get involved and that was a mess in and of itself and I got absolutely off track, didn’t I?”

The boy nodded, cheeks puffed holding in a laugh, the embarrassment forgotten. The governor was about to continue his line a question before getting an impish thought and an equally impish grin on his face.

“Oh if you think that one is a laugh wait till I tell you about a particular favorite of Crys’, the tale of how I managed to anger an entire nest of nadders...”

_He then began to weave tales. Tales of how he used to mess up as a child. He always had a way with dragons, a gift and a curse. Much like my inventions were._

_He told me that it was okay that my ideas sometimes backfired, it meant I was human. Perfection, in the words of his sister, meant nothing challenging could ever happen._

_He also knew of my former people, having vikings who took up fishing mostly after ending up on Sunset’s shores. They were tired of the combat, of the constant war, and wanted peace after losing so much._

_But then he had to ask me the question I was dreading._

“For the sake of...well that I can read norse and I’ve been accused many times of being nosy. I’d prefer to hear it from your own mouth. What is your name, young man?”

The boy rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

“...Hiccup Haddock...Hiccup the Useless.” He muttered.

There was a silence.

“...Well, looks like Scarlet owes me ten gold now. Never did believe me when I told her there were actual people with names after bodily functions.”

His daughter ran a hand down her face.

“Yep...yep I remember that now.” Crys muttered shamefully.

“Dad was trying to be funny but it just failed so bad.”

Ryuu and Yuichi were howling with laughter, leaning against one another in order to keep from falling.

“Alright alright. So I was called that, can it!” Henry snapped, shutting his journal.

“At least I am not the ire of every father and brother in half the archipelago or so easily drawn into a fight that I forget I’m an archer!”

“Right for the jugular!” Nix hooted, laughing as the two boys went dead silent.

It was this time that Nick had given up going back to sleep and joined them.

“What is this entire thing about again?” He asked drowsily?

“If henry punched Ryuu’s lights out when he flirted with him when we were kids.” His sister answered.

“Can’t say I remember such an event. Must’ve been working with dad that day.”

“Nick, you were there.” Nix told him.

“We all were. It was in the middle of the square.”

He yawned.

“Very well, remind me then.”


End file.
